Fastening means



FASTENING MEANS Filed July 29, .1944

INVENTORI. mfl

Patented Nov. 20, 1945 UNITED zssaz'zs V FASTENING MEANS John W. Simmons, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application July 29, 1944., Serial No. 547,199

' Claims. (01. 85-32) This application is a continuation in part of one filed October 15, 1943, Serial No. 506,385,

issued as U. S. Patent No. 2,364,668 on December 12, 1944, and, as in the parent case, the general object of the invention is the production of an efiicient, relatively simple and inexpensive, quickacting fastener that is capable of being readily applied to an entering element, desirably threaded, as a screw or bolt, and that will, when compressed axially of the entering element, exert an extremely powerful hold thereon. The compression of the fastener, when a threaded entering element is employed, is effected by turning said element in an appropriate direction; while, in

the case of a smooth entering element, or one characterized by transverse corrugations or a series of circumferential grooves, compression of the fastener is accomplished by applying force to the fastener, as by means of a tool, in a direction axially of the entering element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener that may be simply and economically produced from linear material, such as strip metal, and which has a multiple thread contact,

or its equivalent, with each of the opposite eldest;

of an entering element wherewith it is used, thereby to materially increase its holding power over that of a fastener capable of only a single point or thread contact with each side of an entering element.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastener constructed of an elongate piece of material and so designed that said 'piece may be punched or otherwise treated to produce apertures that are spaced apart longitudinally of:

the piece of material while said piece is in a fiat or substantally flat condition, the piece afterwards being shaped to provide a base, and loops beyond the ends of the base that extend inwardly and over the base to provide opposed elementcontacting portions, the aforesaid apertures being so related to the piece that one is substantially central of the base while those on the opposite sides of the central apertures occur in said element-contacting portions. With the fastener constructed in this manner, a screw, bolt or other entering elements may be projected through the aperture of the base and between said element contacting portions, such portions, by reason of their being perforated, affording multiple tooth-like contact with opposite sides of said element.

The embodiments of the invention herein distails may vary to the extent permitted by the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto. V

The objects andadvantages above set out, with others that will appear as this description'proceeds, are attained in the constructions shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partly in section as indicated by the line I-l of Fig. 2, of a fastener embodying the invention, howing it applied to an entering element consistingiof a screw by which two members are held together; Fig. 2 is a plan view of said fastener, and includes the parts associated therewith in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a central transverse section through the fastener shown in the preceding views; Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the blank from which the above mentioned fastener is constructed; Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. l, of a modified form of the invention, and Fig. 6 is a central transverse section through the same.

The fastener illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3'is formed from the blank shown in Fig. 4 and'designated A, the same preferably being sheared from linear material. or strip steel of a width corresponding to that of the finished article- Apertures are punched or otherwise formed in the blanlnas indicated, the central one being designated l, and the others, located relatively near the ends of the blank, 2.

In the fabrication of the fastener from the strip of material that constitutes said'blank, the end portions of the strip are formed into loops, and

base .5 of the fastener, centrally f which is located the aperture I... The said loops include'parts 6, element contacting portions or jaws 1, and struts 8, the terminals of the latter being engaged within the bights between the base 5 and parts 6. The apertures 2 are so spaced from the terminals of the struts that they occur within the element contacting portions or jaws 1 and provide, at the tops and bottoms thereof, tooth-like edges 9 for cooperat on with the threads of a screw, belt or the like, or with longitudinally spaced arts of an unthreaded entering element. While I have shown the apertures 2 as circular, or approximately so when the fastener is fabricated, they may be oblong, rectangular, or any other suitable shape, as in the form of a parallelogram with the edges defining the tops and bottoms of the apertures inclined to correspond substantially to the pitch of the threads of a screw type entering element.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a fastener 01' the same general character as the one above described. Here, however, the loops that extend from the ends of the base I 0 inwardly over the same are shown as triangular and include parts ll, element contacting portions or jaws l2, and struts 13. The strip from which this fastener is formed is perforated at its longitudinal center to provide an aperture l 4, and also within the regions thereof thateform thejaws 2, to provide slots-J5. The parts betweemadliacents'slots constitute teeth for cooperation with the threads of a screw type entering element wherewith the fastener is tended for use.

Associated with each of the fasteners showninthe drawing are a threaded entering: element designated 20, and members 2| and 22 that are held together by said element irr-cooperation withthe fastener. In the use of the fastenen in such. an association, the entering element 20' is first proj ected: througiiraligneda holes in the: members -2:|' and-22' as; far. as'it willagc and. the: fastener: is then applied to said element and. forced: therealong t until" the base: "of the fastener contacts the memberi lr. Now, by turning; the entering: element. to? the: right; according; tothe" illustrations, the iawso'f thefasteneIz-anefed-toward; the base andi the loops wherenfi'said. jaws are part: are placedr'under compression. By reason. or-this action; a:veryfimrholdzofithexfastener upon-the en.- teringrelementiisobtainedi Obviously; when the fastener is used with a smooth entering: element, onone; having transverse 'or: circumferential ridges; :or'whose surface is roughened "to? increase: friction; the compression of itstlooped: ends is accomplished by forcing 'theriawsealong: :the entering element toward the base of the-fastener,;as by, means-pta1tubular-or socketed: toot or its equivalent placed over the end-of. the: entering element'in substantially) axial alignment therewith and engaged with. said looped entdsi.

Whils- -'stripmetal and strain: steeE have been given asrearamples-ofi the material: from rwhiohathe' fastener is constructedtanymaterial' suited. to the. purposemay' bet employed, as: certaint plastics; fiber; orwholly' or: partially :nonmetailicsmaiteriair.

VHaving; thus de scr'ib'edz invention; what I claim is:

Aiasixenez: comprisiirg ai'base;.azloop extend- 'ing rromanzendofithe basesimmr.dist overtime-base 'ami. 'constitutingsan element contacting portion, the. basehavingrant apeiiture'for the passage of an enteringrelement; saidicontactingi portionixbeing peiiorateditbiprodueeztoothelike edges for engagement with ones-side: 0t" an enteringtelement projected through said aperture, and a second element contacting portion for engagement with the other side of said element.

2. A fastener comprising a base, and loops extending from the ends of the base inwardly over the base and constituting opposed element contacting portions, the base having an aperture aligned with the space between said element contacting portions and each of said portions being perforated to-provide tooth-like: edges for engagement with an-entering element projected through said aperture and between the said contacting portions.

3. A fastener constructed of an elongate piece ofmaterial perforated at substantially its longitudinal center to provide an aperture through which an entering element is adapted to be pro- 1 tested; the'piec'e of material being shaped for a distance in opposite directions from said aperture to provide a base, and beyond the ends of the basei'to provide loops", that are-turned: inwardly over'the base sandiconstituteropposedelement contasting.portions;.saidielement:conta'ctin ..-portions being aperturem toaproduce tooth-like edges for engagementwith the entering-element;

4;. A fastener: constructed: of. an elongate Y piece of material. perforated at: substantially itss longitudinal center-"to. provide: arr aperture: through Whichia; threadedurentering; element is adapted to be projectedgthe piece: at material being shaped for a. distance in oppositer directions from; said aperture to provide: a:'base,, and beyond. the ends of; thew base to' provide loopsthat are turned inwardlyioverr the base-and constitute opposed elementcontacting: portions, each of said element contactingportions having arplurality of perforationsinzthezform of; slotssthatsextend transversely on said. contacting: portions thereby to.- provide parts intermediate:the:slotssforrcooperation' with the threads ofi-the-entermg=e1ement;.,

A fastener: constnucted of art elongate piece otflmatertiat perforatediat siibstahti'alltv its: longitud-inal: center to: provides an; aperture: through whicha screw 'istad'aptcd. to;be1projected-,:thepiece {irofmateria-L being shaped ton-a distance in opposite directionsirom: zsaidyapenture toprcvide a base; andi'beyond the-fiends eiitheibaseztoprovide loops that extend; inwardly over, the base and parts of which constitutempposed: jaws, each of the jaws having a plurality of perforationsnixthe 

